Op-Ed

I read a joke the other day. How many politicians does it take to change a light bulb? Just two – one to change it and another to change it back again. That’s kind of how I’ve been feeling in the halls of the Capitol these past few weeks. One step forward and two steps back. The House is divided and is struggling to unite, and the clock is ticking.

On Wednesday, June 6th, we recognize one of the most tragic and calamitous events in American history: that 50 years have passed since the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy.
Many Americans like me are sustained and encouraged by great historical figures, whether living or deceased. Mine are the usual and deserving suspects: Lincoln, Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt, Gandhi, and King.

Taking positive steps and working to improve public safety for Alaska remains a top priority for the legislature. House Bill 312, which we sponsored in the House and is now moving toward final passage, addresses our common public safety concerns and is good news for all Alaskans.

Along with my colleagues, Sens. Tom Begich and Bill Wielechowski, I have introduced a package of legislation to protect net neutrality in Alaska and urge Congress to reverse a recent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) order eliminating net neutrality protections.

Public education matters because a student’s opportunity to achieve matters. The Legislature has an opportunity to end years of continuing cuts to teachers, guidance and career counselors, teacher training, end even courses. We’ve lost over 500 teachers, counselors and education support staff in recent years. Bigger class sizes, demoralized teachers, and rolled back curriculum don’t increase academic achievement.

I feel compelled to comment on a Feb. 4 Juneau Empire article that I was featured in titled “Local fishermen, mining companies divided over fish habitat.”

A few days prior to the article, I had the opportunity to meet with a group of the local fishermen in support of my fish habitat permitting legislation, House Bill 199. This bill was drafted in response to a request by the Board of Fisheries that the Legislature update fish habitat permitting laws that have remained unchanged since statehood. The board cited a lack of enforceable standards and public input as weaknesses in the current law.